STÉPHANE HERZOG In comparison with other countries, Switzerland has among the highest number of boats per inhabitant. It may not have a sea, but it does have 150 sailable waterways and offers good conditions for taking to them, particularly in a sailing boat. “The mountains create thermals, which are ideal for the sport,” according to Olivier von Arx, president of the Association des propriétaires de bateau [Swiss boatowners’ association] (APB) in Geneva. “The first regattas on Lake Geneva took place in the 19th century, where transport ships competed,” says Bernard Schopfer, himself a sailor and the author of several books, including on the regattas at this world-famous boating spot. The specialist provided media support for Team Alinghi in the run-up to Switzerland’s first victory in the America’s Cup in Auckland in 2003. At that time, several sailors from the New Zealand team, who held the title, had defected to the Swiss team. New Zealand, a seafaring nation, wanted to see Switzerland disqualified from the competition, arguing that the country had no access to the sea and that the Swiss campaign – run by billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli – was driven solely by money. Alinghi’s media team countered. “The rules of the America’s Cup state that you have to have a sea inlet. The Rhine counts,” explains Bernard Schopfer. Alinghi Switzerland had highlighted the considerable number of boats per inhabitant in Switzerland. “We also told the life The nautical life gets Swiss pulses racing Switzerland features dozens of lakes that can be sailed by fans of water sports. It has one sailing boat for every 353 inhabitants, the fifth-largest number in the world. The country also has its nautical heroes. stories of Swiss sailors such as Pierre Fehlmann,” the Geneva native recalls. Fehlmann, who won the Whitbread Round the World Race in 1986, is a leading light in Swiss sailing. “He was the first great Swiss mariner. He made sailing famous and sailors like Dominique Wavre [who has sailed around the world ten times] took up the sport thanks to him,” remarks Daniel Rossier, former commodore of the Cruising Club de Suisse (CCS), which has 6,000 seafaring members. Today, Switzerland has at least another two top-level sailors to its name: Alan Roura, the youngest competitor in the 2017 Vendée Globe, and Justine Mettraux, who finished eighth in the 2025 edition of this solo roundthe-world race in 18-metre IMOCA Higher, farther, faster, more beautiful? In search of somewhat unconventional Swiss records Today: Switzerland has a high concentration of boats. Swiss Review / April 2026 / No. 2 16 Report
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